Shuttle Full O'Trouble
by Cheshire6845
Summary: Kathryn Janeway is on her way to a conference in a shuttle full of admirals.  What could possibly go wrong?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimers: No infringement intended. I obviously don't own Star Trek or any of its properties

Acknowledgments: This story was written by request for Audabee who generously contributed to the Queensland Flood Relief Fund. Audabee wanted action Janeway. I sure hope this fit the bill. And thanks to QS for once again donning the beta hat for me.

Notes: Triskaidekaphobia is fear of the number 13. There are four ranks of admiral with Vice Admiral being one rank lower than Admiral. The story is complete and will be posted in three parts.

* * *

**Shuttle Full O'Trouble by Cheshire**

The strap of her carry-all bag was biting into her shoulder and she tried adjusting it for the umpteenth time to a more comfortable position, but there didn't seem to be one. Vice Admiral Kathryn Janeway glanced down once again at the PADD in her hand, unnecessarily checking that it was indeed the _USS Mississippi_ she was looking for. Naturally, all of the runabouts had to be at the very end of the shuttle bay. She was quite sure though, given the guest list for this trip, that she was the only one who had chosen to actually walk to the ship.

Reviewing the guest list in her head, Kathryn suppressed the urge to suddenly come down with a case of Tarkalean flu. Vice Admiral Melong, a Bolian and commanding officer of Starbase 13; Admiral Ketek, a Vulcan in charge of interplanetary agricultural reform; Vice Admiral Tulud, an Andorian weapons and tactics master; Admiral Mason, a human and head of the flight training school at the academy for as long as anyone could possibly remember; Vice Admiral Baird, a human female doctor specializing in cosmetic surgery and the only person besides Kathryn that was under sixty years old; and last but not least one of Kathryn's personal nemeses – Admiral Robert T. Brown.

While his official title was something along the lines of Chief Litigator for Infractions Regarding the Space Time Continuum, he was also something of a subject matter expert on the Prime Directive and all of its codicils. Two factors which had come up repeatedly during Kathryn's debriefings upon returning home, and ultimately two factors which Kathryn had vehemently disagreed with him about while dissecting some of the more controversial orders she'd given over seven years in the Delta Quadrant. It wasn't that she thought she'd made the perfect choice in any given situation; it was more his condescending manner and attitude when he spoke to her as if he were scolding a misbehaving child that had gotten on her last nerve. Needless to say, the discussions between them had been contentious.

And now they'd get to spend two days on a runabout together. Kathryn wasn't entirely sure who she had pissed off this time to be assigned to this particular conference, but the only thing that was keeping her sanity in check was the idea that she didn't have to catch a ride back to Earth on the shuttle with listed company. Chakotay was also going to be in attendance, and they'd both taken several days of leave after the conference. Kathryn was anticipating that her travel back to Earth would be a much more pleasant trip.

Finally arriving at the _USS Mississippi_, the very last shuttle in line, Kathryn steeled herself and walked up the extended ramp. A lieutenant and an ensign were already at the helm, conducting what she assumed were the pre-flight checks under the watchful eye of Admiral Mason. She immediately pitied the two young officers and made a mental note to give them both some encouragement whenever she could. If the way Admiral Mason was shaking his head was any indication, they were going to need whatever support they could get.

"Nice of you to join us, Janeway. Maybe now we can finally get underway."

At the irritatingly familiar voice, Kathryn plastered a polite smile on her face before turning to address Admiral Brown. "My apologies, Admiral. I wasn't aware that you'd wanted to leave thirty minutes early."

"The sooner we leave, the sooner we get there," he retorted as he walked past her. "Lieutenant, everyone is on board. We can leave now."

"Not until they finish the pre-flight warm-up," Mason replied, leaning over and tapping the pilot's console.

Kathryn took a deep breath and held it. It was going to be a long flight.

* * *

"So you see Kathryn, this human capacity to continually perpetuate triskaidekaphobia is completely and utterly archaic. It's also strictly a Terran superstition, and yet because the makeup of Starfleet has such a high ratio of humans to other species in its ranks, this pesky fear of a simple designation does impact, although only to a slight degree I assure you, the operations of my space station. Another problem arising from the statistically high number of Terrans in Starfleet is that they also influence the other cultures around them. I have personally encountered triskaidekaphobia in alien species now that have absolutely no historical background on which to even blame their fears. Granted, the human basis for fear of this prime number is questionable at best, but at least you humans can articulate some sort of basis to indicate why you fear a number. But, I ask you, why should a Ferengi be afraid of coming to my starbase simply because of its designation? It's absurd."

I wholeheartedly agree," Kathryn managed to interject. "Would you excuse–"

"Thank you!" Admiral Melong exclaimed, oblivious to Janeway's attempt to rise from her chair. "That's exactly the kind of support I need. Despite the fear being archaic and recognized as such, my space station is still stuck with this unfortunate moniker, but I think with persons such as yourself backing my proposal it will finally get passed through the Senate."

Kathryn's head was spinning, but she managed to stop the Bolian admiral before he could go any further. "Wait. What proposal?"

"Changing the designation of my space station," he supplied. "You just agreed with me that it should be done. Now, unfortunately, there's already a space station 14 so I simply can't take the next number in sequence, and really giving my space station, which is so close to Sector 001, the highest designation wouldn't be right either. I propose we have a completely new naming convention for all the space stations, only this time we can skip right over the number 13. Sort of like how you Terrans used to do with those airplane things you used to fly. Refusing to number any row of seats as 13. Are you familiar with that custom, Kathryn? Simply skipping over the number 13 as though it didn't exist? Humans used to do it in all sorts of places. Buildings would skip from floor 12 to floor 14. As if that really changed anything at all. Ridiculous I tell you. However, we could run into the same problem with renaming the space stations. We can't simply skip over 13 because we would still be the thirteenth one."

Kathryn felt like crying. Seven years in the Delta Quadrant had rarely reduced her to tears, but only twelve hours into this trip she was ready to throw in the towel and call it quits. She had permanent half-moon indentures where she'd been digging her fingernails into the palm of her hand whenever she'd been forced to interact with Admiral Brown. Baird, the only other female on the runabout, had barely spoken two words to her. It seemed that whatever section of the ship Kathryn was in Baird made it a point to not be there. She'd even neglected to finish her lunch earlier, choosing instead to get up and leave as soon as Kathryn had sat down to the table in the aft section.

Admiral Mason had barely left the pilots alone for more than a minute, choosing to sit at the tactical station situated behind them, where he could supervise their every action. And as far as she could tell, Tulud had yet to speak to a single person on the ship, choosing instead to focus entirely on a PADD which Kathryn had only managed to catch a glimpse of but which seemed to have some sort of weapon design on it. Ketek had disappeared into the cargo area at the beginning of their trip, and she assumed entered a Vulcan meditative state. She envied him.

But Melong was only too happy to speak with her. His incessant chattering was doing absolutely nothing for the headache she'd been nursing since about the fifth hour into the trip, but even as she considered that, she realized Melong had fallen silent. She sighed as it could only mean one thing. Baird had entered the aft section of the runabout.

Kathryn looked up and to no surprise saw the female admiral standing at the replicator. It should've bothered her, she supposed, that in this day and age, men of any species would still stop and gawk at a woman just because she was attractive. On some level, it should probably bother her that this woman, who was actually listed as being older than she was, garnered more attention by simply entering a room than Kathryn did. Even Tulud had looked up from his PADD. But honestly, Janeway simply took advantage of the opportunity and got up from the table, grabbing her PADD and quickly making an exit before Melong realized he'd lost his captive audience.

The ensign seated in the co-pilot's chair looked up when she entered the forward area, but she just held up her hands. "I'm just looking for a quiet place to review some reports. Please, carry on." Mason looked like he was about to object to her presence so she preempted him. "That is, of course, if it's all right with you, Admiral? I'm sure my piloting skills could only be improved if I'm allowed to sit here and pick up some tidbits."

The significantly older man seemed mollified and only grumbled something about her just staying out of the way. Janeway tipped her head to him and gratefully sank into the seat, thumbing on her PADD, and for once happily sinking into a status report that had arrived at her desk the day prior.

An hour had passed when she finally heard Mason say something to the pilots that she found interesting. Something about being off course. She looked up from the report she had been annotating. The absolute last thing she wanted was for this trip to take longer than it needed to.

"Lieutenant, this trip is supposed to be on a heading of 127 mark four," Mason stated, pulling up a chart at the station where he was seated. "You have us moving at 283 mark seven. Explain yourself."

That was a significant difference in heading and Kathryn looked to the pilots, assuming they had a reasonable explanation.

But both pilots ignored the older admiral.

For a second, she could hardly blame them. He'd been harping on them for the entire trip. She could even accept a delayed response on their part, considering they'd probably started to tune him out, but still, he was an admiral. No Starfleet officer simply _ignored_ an admiral.

Mason got to his feet. "Lieutenant, I expect an answer when I ask a question. Now tell me why you've deviated from the flight plan."

"Shut up, old man."

Kathryn could not believe it and was on her feet in an instant, about to demand an explanation when the ensign sitting in the co-pilot's chair spun to face her. "Sit down, Admiral."

She almost snapped back at him, but noticed he was pointing a phaser at her. Janeway's chin came up as she assessed the two men seated in front of her. There was a definite edge in her voice when she demanded, "Who are you?"

Mason wasn't quite as quick to catch on. "Put that weapon down, Ensign. That's an order."

In a single fluid movement, the lieutenant got to his feet and cold-cocked Mason across the face, dropping the older man to the deck. Kathryn instinctively lunged forward to assist him only to find a phaser pointed in her face. Careful not to make any further hasty movements, she pulled back.

The man posing as a lieutenant smirked at her. "Smart move."

"That wasn't necessary," she said coldly, her eyes straying to Mason's unmoving form.

"After twelve hours of listening to his mouth, he's lucky I didn't kill him," the pilot sneered.

"Fine. You're in charge. Now what?"

The ensign snorted but remained quiet. The lieutenant smirked again and shook his head. "We're not the ones in charge."

Janeway looked at them carefully, feeling the knot of fear in her belly grow exponentially. "Then who is?"

Pain exploded in the back of her head and she fell forwards, trying to catch herself on the pilot's chair, but felt her hands slide helplessly over the contours of the chair as she collapsed to the deck. Clutching at her head, she tried desperately to fight off the blackness that was crowding her vision. The toe of a boot slammed into her abdomen, knocking her over on her side, her back hitting the base of the helm. She managed to hold onto consciousness a moment longer and see the three faces of her attackers standing over her. The lieutenant. The ensign.

And Admiral Robert T. Brown.


	2. Chapter 2

_Notes, disclaimers, and acknowledgments can be found in the first chapter._

_

* * *

_

**Shuttle Full O'Trouble by Cheshire (pt 2)**

Consciousness did not come easy to Kathryn. Lifting her head from its slumped position was excruciating. The muscles in her neck vehemently protested the movement and she hissed air through her teeth as her head throbbed in mutinous agreement. Blinking her eyes open barely helped her situation, but she was incredibly thankful that wherever she was didn't have any bright lights. It didn't have any lights at all, which didn't help her, but at the moment she would take any small blessing she could get.

Wherever she was, she was incredibly cramped. Her feet were flat on the floor with her knees almost touching her chest and her back pressed solidly against the wall behind her. Her arms were stretched out in front of her, resting on the tops of her knees. It was an incredibly uncomfortable position to maintain for any length of time, and if the spasms in her lower back were any indication at all, she'd already been here for more time than she'd like to consider.

Spitting hair out of her mouth, she realized her numb hands were actually bound together when she tried to move them up to clear her hair away from her face. Something had her shackled at the wrists, and as she wiped her hair back from her face, she felt a sheen of perspiration on her skin. Great. Not only did she undoubtedly have a concussion, but she'd soon be dehydrated as well. That would help with the pounding headache resonating behind her eyes.

Gently resting her head back against the wall, angling it so the golf ball sized welt behind her left ear didn't touch anything; she spotted a thin seam of light above her. Janeway closed her eyes and concentrated on the feel of her surroundings. The light thrum radiating through her entire body confirmed that she was still on a ship that was traveling at warp. Reopening her eyes, she looked again at the light. If she was still on the runabout, which she suspected she was, she was probably in one of the maintenance lockers. The size was about right and the heat could be caused by being close to the engines.

Now that the cobwebs were starting to clear and the aches and pains of her body were becoming more pronounced, Janeway was really starting to get angry. Brown. That bastard. She had no idea who those other two men were, but her building fury rested solely on the admiral. To think of all the mind-numbing lectures she'd received from him about the founding principles of Starfleet and all the debates she'd gotten in with him defending herself, only to have this happen, to discover he was a traitor. Her back spasmed again, and she decided he was a sadistic traitor to boot.

She stopped her mental tirade against the man when she heard footsteps. Boots stopped right beside where she was sitting, and a shadow interrupted the pale stream of light above her. Options raced through her mind but were quickly erased with the clanging of a metal latch echoing around her small chamber. She groaned and instinctively flinched back when the loud noise was followed by a cascade of bright light that had her blinking back tears.

A shadow moved into the light, blocking most of it for a few moments, before sinking down to be eye level with her. Staring through still-watering eyes, Kathryn croaked, "Ad-miral…Baird?"

The older human woman smiled, her long dark hair now hanging loosely over her shoulders and down her back. She pocketed a tricorder and shook her head. "He dislikes you even more than I thought. Do you have any idea how long it took me to find you down here?"

The cool open air rushing into the cramped space felt wonderful against her heated skin, but Janeway struggled to focus. "I need…to get out…stop him from…whatever it is–"

"Sshhhhh," Baird said calmingly, placing a finger on Kathryn's lips. "Don't worry about him right now." Pulling a dry cloth from a pocket, she began to dab at Kathryn's face lightly touching on the lump behind Kathryn's ear, eliciting a hiss of pain from the younger woman. "Sorry about that."

Janeway saw her draw the cloth back to fold it over itself, saw that it was now stained with blood, and tried to swing her legs out of the small cramped space she was in. "Where are the others…where's Brown now?"

Baird reached into the locker and hooked her arm under Kathryn's legs, helping her stretch them out onto the deck in front of her. "I took care of them, and Brown won't be bothering you anymore."

It was only with her legs stretched out in front of her that Kathryn could see and feel that they too were bound together. Tingling sensation was slowly beginning to return to them, and as more blood began to circulate, a thread of fear wound its way into her mind. She looked carefully at the apparently unconcerned woman in front of her. "Release me."

Baird's dark eyes met hers as she continued dabbing the cloth across Kathryn's forehead. A seductive smile lit her face. "Oh, I can't do that."

Kathryn's headache pounded behind her eyes. She swallowed thickly. "Why not?"

Baird tucked the cloth away and took Kathryn's head gently between both of her hands. She looked intently at her face, almost clinically as though Janeway was simply one of her patients. Then she made a tsk-ing noise and shook her head, dropping her hands. "Because I can't control you."

Nausea rolled through Kathryn's gut, and she couldn't pinpoint if it was because of the ever-building pain in her head or because of the revelation seated in front of her. "But you're…controlling Brown…those pilots?"

The seductive smile returned and Baird's hand returned to Kathryn's face, her fingers lightly grazing down Kathryn's cheek. Her touch was no longer clinical but more of a caress. Kathryn jerked her head away, ignoring the way her vision tunneled at the sudden movement. Baird pouted. "It's such a wasted shame that I can only control your men." She threw a leg over Kathryn's, straddling the younger woman's thighs, but keeping her weight perfectly balanced on the balls of her feet. "I would _love_ to get to know _you_ better."

"Who are you?" Kathryn snapped, leaning as far away from Baird as she could.

Baird traced a finger along the underside of her captive's jaw. "Why should I tell you? What will you do for me?"

"I'll try not to kill you when I retake control of this ship," Kathryn growled, moving her head away again from the unwanted touch.

Baird let out a gusty sigh and pulled back, regaining her full height and towering over Janeway. "That's what I was afraid of." She snapped her fingers and the two pilots came immediately forward. "Put her in with the Vulcan, but _don't_ remove her restraints. If she says so much as one word, sedate her."

The two men hauled Janeway to her feet and after hooking an arm under each of hers, they began to drag her out of the room.

Baird waved. "It's too bad, Kathryn. I could've made this trip much more enjoyable for you."

* * *

Kathryn laid flat on her back looking up at the ceiling. Her situation had improved, she supposed. At the very least, she wasn't cramped up in the closet anymore, but besides that bit of good news she had nothing. She was still in the cargo hold of the runabout, her Vulcan cellmate was still in a meditative state, unresponsive to any of her attempts to engage him, and Baird was still showing an uncomfortable amount of attention to her. No less than three times she'd come down to the cargo hold to 'check on them'. Although while checking on 'them', she'd barely thrown a single look at Ketek and instead circled Kathryn with a predatory interest. After the first time, Kathryn hadn't even bothered sitting up. What point would it serve except to worsen her formidable headache?

There was a loud external thunking noise and Kathryn frowned, listening a bit more intently. The runabout's engines had stopped, but there was another thrum that had replaced them. She rolled her head to the side and glanced at Ketek. He didn't seem bothered by the change, and she wished she could throw something at him. Then she felt a subtle bump run through the deck plating beneath her and she thought she understood. The runabout had just landed inside another ship.

Swell. That just complicated her plan for escape. Granted, her plans so far had been admittedly sparse and she hadn't given the subject a whole lot of consideration. She wanted to escape, but with her hands and feet still bound it would be an incredibly difficult feat to manage. Not to mention, she simply couldn't seem to concentrate for longer than a few minutes before she found herself staring blankly at the ceiling again. She blamed the concussion.

The hum of a transporter beam took her by surprise, and when she could see again she found that her situation had just gone from bad to worse. Although she had ended up lying on a thin mattress free of her wrist and ankle restraints, she was now definitely in a cell of some sort. There was a single large portal that appeared transparent, but she was quite sure there was some sort of force field arcing through the space. Still…she should get up and check to make sure.

Swinging her legs off the cot, she noticed her roommate had not changed. Ketek, still seated in his meditating position, was in the corner of the cell against the wall. Massaging her wrists, she got to her feet and carefully approached the open space. Sure enough, she could feel the energy of the force field without having to even touch it. She did, however, crane her head to the side, trying to see as far as she could into the area just past the force field. There wasn't much to see. A short hallway ending with a door and maybe room for one cell on each side of the one she was in, but by the lack of lighting neither appeared to be in use at the moment. Sighing, she turned back to her, for all intents and purposes, comatose roommate.

"Any ideas?" she asked him, not expecting a response and not receiving one. She took a cursory look around the cell; there wasn't much to see. Two cots, some bulkheads, and a force field. Not even a lavatory which made her slightly concerned. She hoped they had some sort of facilities nearby.

The door at the end of the short hall opened and Kathryn faced the force field, hopeful that she'd get some answers. When a green woman with long dark hair stopped in front of the cell, Kathryn felt that she was about to have even more questions.

"So, what do you think, Kathryn?" the woman asked, her hands smoothing down over her scantily clad body. "Doesn't green become me?"

The voice was strikingly familiar and Kathryn actually took a step forward to see better. She was quite sure her mouth dropped open. "Baird?"

The woman laughed, hit a button to lower the force field and stepped into the cell with Kathryn. "Specialist in cosmetic surgery, remember?"

"You're…_Orion_?"

"In the flesh." She took another step closer to her prisoner, amused when Janeway visibly tensed. "Welcome to my ship, Admiral."

"Your ship?"

"Mmm-hmmm." She began to circle Kathryn, glancing at Ketek as she moved past him, her hand trailing along the younger woman's shoulders. "If the accommodations aren't to your liking, I'm sure I could make room for you somewhere else." She stopped in front of Kathryn, close enough that their chests were almost touching. "There's a nice spot on the floor at the foot of my bed."

Janeway's chin came up. "I will not accept 'special' treatment."

The smirk reappeared on Baird's face. "Pity." She glanced at Ketek again before refocusing on Kathryn. "I simply don't know what I'm going to do with you. There's no current price on your head, and you're too old for the slave auctions." She patted Janeway's face. "Oh, I'm sure someone would buy you. People always need house slaves and such, but I'd hate to think of you scrubbing floors or sorting refuse. It simply wouldn't be dignified for someone of your," her gaze traveled down Kathryn and back up, "stature."

Janeway held her ground. She'd been ogled before. Threatened before. This was nothing new. "Release us now and they may go easy on you."

Baird had a melodic laugh and she shook with it. "Oh, you really are a treat, and to think I didn't want you on this trip."

That was a piece of news Janeway was actually interested in. "_How_ did I get put on this trip?"

"That bitch Nechayev," Baird growled, sobering instantly. "I couldn't exactly influence her the way I could…others."

"Others?" Janeway repeated. "Like Admiral Brown?"

"He's an absolute bore," Baird rolled her eyes, "but a well-placed bore. He has his uses." She folded her arms across her chest. "Unlike you. Hmmm, well, not to worry, Kathryn. Let me think on it. I'm sure I'll be able to find some use for you. Until then, enjoy the trip. I'll let you know what I decide."

Baird turned and sauntered out of the cell, reengaging the force field and signaling for the two men that had stayed in the shadows to follow her out. Kathryn waited until she heard the door at the end of the corridor close before she put a hand out to the cot to steady herself. The pulsing beat in her head was getting worse and was almost to the point of being debilitating.

"I believe I can help you with the headaches."

Kathryn jerked her head around too quickly and regretted it instantly, having to tighten her hold on the bunk to keep from collapsing. The Vulcan, Ketek, reached her side and assisted her to a sitting position on the rack. She stared at him in shock. Not only was he awake, but he had moved incredibly fast for someone who'd spent the last several hours not moving.

Ketek, for his part, crouched in front of her, waiting patiently for her mind to catch up with current events.

"What the hell–"

"What do you know about Orions, Admiral?" he asked, ignoring her outburst.

"They're green!"

"Most of them," he agreed. "Anything else? Try to focus, Admiral."

She almost snapped at him but realized he was right. Closing her eyes, Kathryn tried to think. Her mind still felt sluggish as she tried to recall anything she could about Orions. It had been awhile. "Uh, they have a slave culture on the planet. At first glance, one would think the females are the slaves, but they aren't. They use…" she mentally grasped for the word she needed, "pheromones to control the males."

Ketek nodded. "Good. Are you familiar with the Orion Syndicate?"

She had to shake her head. "No. I've heard of them, but that's about it."

"I'll fill you in on the details." He reached for her face.

Kathryn slid away from his outstretched hands. "What are you doing?"

He grimaced. "Are you familiar with Vulcan mind-melds?"

"Yes." Kathryn got to her feet and paced away from him. "They're very personal, and we_ just_ met."

Ketek got to his feet. "I will not harm you."

"Good. That still doesn't explain why you want to meld with me," she said, keeping her distance as much as possible.

He glanced towards the door. "We don't have time for this."

"We'll make the time."

"I have a lot of information to give to you and a small window of opportunity to do so. A mind meld is the most logical method to convey to you everything you need to know in order to possibly survive this mission," he snapped out rather tersely. When he saw she wasn't convinced, he added, "I could order you to comply."

Janeway snorted. "Try it."

Ketek draped his hands behind his back and took a step towards her. Kathryn backed up.

"I need to tell you several things, and I do not wish to proclaim them loudly," he explained. "I will keep my hands behind my back. May I approach you?"

She considered it then nodded.

"Vulcans are not affected by Orion pheromones, but you are. I do not doubt that Baird is attracted to you, but her continued presence is the cause of your headaches as well as your inactivity."

"My _inactivity_?"

He raised an eyebrow at her disbelief. "You laid on the deck for approximately two hours and seventeen minutes doing nothing. You have made no attempts to escape or to make contact with anyone outside of our ship." He watched as denial appeared on her face followed closely by realization that he had a point. "I do not believe that you would have ever gotten your ship across 70,000 light years if your usual inclination was to wait patiently for rescue."

"Patience is not one of my virtues," she agreed.

"A psychic link with me will help block the affects of Baird's pheromones on your physiology. I will also be able to share with you my knowledge of the Orion Syndicate and why I believe we are being held captive."

"Through a mind meld?" Kathryn clarified, clearly still hesitant, but she could easily see the gravity of the situation in Ketek's eyes. She sighed. "Fine. Let's do it." The Vulcan's hands reached for her face and she grimaced. "It's not like this headache can get any worse."

* * *

Kathryn woke with a start, sitting up so quickly she almost smacked her head against the bunk above her, but she managed to stop her upward rise just in time. Blinking several times to clear her vision, she remembered her current situation immediately, including the mind meld. Spying Ketek seated once again in the corner of the cell, she remembered a great many things she hadn't previously even known.

Ketek's dark eyes watched her as she slowly moved to a seated position. Her mind was racing, and she was pleased to note that except for soreness behind her ear, her head no longer felt as though it was going to split in half.

"How do you feel?" he asked quietly.

She blinked a few more times, frowning. "How did I end up over here?"

"The meld was…successful. Almost _too_ successful. I had to break the connection abruptly," he explained. "When I did, you lost consciousness."

Details were slowly arranging themselves into some semblance of order in Kathryn's mind. "What do you mean 'too successful'?"

"I was prepared for a more difficult exchange of information, but you have melded before. The ease with which I was able to enter your mind was…unexpected."

Something clicked into place for her. "You don't actually do interplanetary agricultural reform, do you?"

He eyed her warily now. "No."

She tried to find the detail in her mind that she wanted but couldn't. "Do I even _want_ to know what it is that you actually do for Starfleet?"

"I'm quite certain you want to know, Kathryn, but I will not tell you." He indicated the force field with a nod of his head. "Nor will I tell them." He paused, considering his words. "It is imperative, in fact, that I do not tell them."

"You think they don't already know?"

"I believe Baird suspects, but no, I was not their primary target."

"Tulud," she said, naming the Andorian weapons master. "He's working on a new project."

"Yes."

"And the Syndicate wants it."

"The Syndicate wants anything that will give them advantage, power, or wealth."

"Which makes a runabout full of admirals an irresistible target."

"Indeed."

Getting to her feet, she began to pace. Tulud was easy enough to figure out. He made weapons and had a new one under construction. Brown was one of the higher ranked admirals in Starfleet. His connections and influence could be invaluable. Melong was the commanding officer of a space station. If he was under Baird's control, the Syndicate would have a safe and convenient base of operations. If they had any suspicions at all about Ketek, they knew he'd be valuable. Possibly he had a price on his head or they could just be interested in whatever covert information he possessed. That just left her and Mason, and Baird had already admitted that Kathryn had been an unintentional passenger.

"What value does Mason possess to the Syndicate?" she asked.

Ketek hesitated. "I have not been able to think of one."

Mason's life was in danger, if he wasn't already dead. "And me?"

"Luckily, Baird has taken an interest in you. I think we can use that to our advantage."

Kathryn didn't think she was going to like where this was headed. "If I start reciprocating, she'll see right through that."

"I agree. I believe she enjoys the chase and is attracted to your…spunk."

Kathryn rolled her eyes.

"But you _should_ continue to appear apathetic. That is what she's expecting and she will not question your lassitude."

"How does that help us?"

"If she grows lax around you, so will her guards."

They both heard the door at the end of the corridor open and Kathryn quickly nodded her understanding. She leaned against the frame of the bed and didn't immediately straighten when Baird appeared on the other side of the force field.

"Ah, Kathryn, you're up." Baird's gaze slid over to Ketek. "And you've finally decided to join us. Perfect."

The force field shimmered into non-existence and Baird stepped inside, her two guards staying in the corridor, but they were a more obvious presence than before. Baird held up a hypospray. "I have a present for you, Kathryn."

Janeway straightened. "What is it?"

"Don't you trust me?" Baird laughed. "Just an analgesic. Thought it might help with your…headache."

Past Baird's shoulder, Ketek's nod was almost imperceptible and Kathryn really hoped he knew what he was doing. She shrugged and tilted her head to one side, exposing her neck. "Whatever."

Baird looked almost giddy as she unnecessarily moved Kathryn's hair back before delivering the medicine. She lingered for a moment before pulling herself back and snapping her fingers towards the opening of the cell. The ensign pilot from the runabout came forward. Baird addressed Kathryn, "I have some work to do, but I thought you might like to freshen up, use the facilities."

Kathryn nodded guilelessly.

"I like this ensign, Kathryn. He obeys my every bidding. Just like a good little officer in training should." Her eyes hardened. "He has orders to kill you if you so much as sneeze in a suspicious manner. Remember that please. I'd hate to lose you to an unfortunate circumstance before I've decided what to do with you."

Kathryn nodded again, this time with a bit more caution as the ensign unholstered a weapon.

"Ensign," Baird instructed. "Take Kathryn to the facilities at the end of the corridor. Give her fifteen minutes and then bring her directly back here. Do you understand?"

The ensign reached out and took Janeway by the arm, guiding her to walk in front of him and past the two Orion guards. Baird's voice followed them down the corridor. "Now, back to business. Ketek, if that is in fact your real name, I finally have you all to myself."

Kathryn gasped and felt the ensign's hand on her arm tighten. She barely managed to keep walking as she heard Ketek's voice clearly in her mind.

_My apologies, Kathryn, for what is going to happen next. It was unavoidable._


	3. Chapter 3

_Notes, disclaimers, and acknowledgments can be found in the first chapter._

_

* * *

_

**Shuttle Full O'Trouble by Cheshire (pt 3)**

Pain blossomed in Kathryn's chest and sent burning tendrils out along her limbs, but she kept crawling. The access tunnels on Baird's ship did not seem all that different from _Voyager's_ or any other Starfleet ship she'd ever been on. The tunnel was cramped, hot, and the grating dug into her knees at uncomfortable angles. She just hoped there were also access ports located somewhere in the bowels of the ship like there would have been on _Voyager_.

She also hoped the ensign stayed unconscious and out of sight. Given the unexpected mental apology from Ketek, Kathryn had decided to take her chances immediately rather than wait. She'd taken her time in the bathroom, waiting patiently for the ensign to encourage her to get a move on. As soon as he did, she dragged him inside the small area, and in the course of their brief struggle, she'd managed to deliver a perfectly-applied Vulcan nerve pinch. He'd dropped like a rock. She credited Ketek with her success, since prior to their meld, no matter how many times Tuvok had tried to teach her, she'd never been able to execute the pinch correctly.

This really made her once again question the Vulcan's motives. Why would he meld with her to help her fight off the effects of the pheromones only to turn on her later? But then again, what could he possibly tell Baird about her? Even if he'd picked her brain during the meld, Baird had already made it clear that Delta Quadrant knowledge was not the kind of thing she was interested in obtaining.

A flickering panel of lights glittered at the juncture at the end of the tunnel, and Kathryn thanked whatever spirits were listening as her knees had just about had it. Pulling herself out and to a standing position, she took a minute to acknowledge the burning sensation that seemed centralized just behind her breastbone. It wasn't an excruciating pain nor did it seem to be constant, but it was definitely an uncomfortable sensation. And despite the recent chain of events, she couldn't place anything that had happened to her that would be the likely cause of it.

Unable to categorize the pain or do anything about it at the moment, Kathryn pushed the problem to the back of her mind and concentrated instead on the panel in front of her. As she studied the flashing lights, she almost felt as though things were finally going right for a change. Between spending seven years with a ship full of Maquis and having a Vulcan spy running around in her head, tapping into the ship's communications network was a breeze. She was even able to get an outside channel.

"This is Admiral Kathryn Janeway of Starfleet Command. I am broadcasting on all frequencies and all bands to anyone within range. I am currently being held prisoner aboard an unknown Orion ship. There are at least six other Starfleet personnel on this ship also being held prisoner. To anyone answering this distress call, the other Starfleet personnel on this ship have been mentally compromised. Do not trust them until a full evaluation has been completed. I require any and all assistance."

Kathryn closed the comm. channel as a deep throb of pain stabbed into her lower back. She grunted and moved a hand to massage the spot even though she could feel nothing there. As immediately as the pain had blossomed in her back, so did a jumble of thoughts fall into her awareness. Something about Romulus…a banned weapon…Remans. The lights on the access panel in front of her blurred and she realized why she was feeling pain.

Ketek was being tortured.

The psychic link between them. A secret he had to protect. His apology to her. It all made sense, and before she could even see clearly, her fingers were manipulating the control panel again. She needed to scan for lifesigns…a Vulcan lifesign. Surely, there couldn't be too many on this ship. Baird wouldn't want to keep a species around her that she couldn't influence.

Baird…that bitch.

Janeway smirked a little. That thought definitely wasn't Vulcan. The lights blinked green and the viewscreen changed images. "And there…you…are."

She'd actually managed to tap into the security feed and was now looking at video of the runabout, her empty cell, an almost empty bridge, and what was clearly an interrogation room of some sort. Her anger flared as she watched a rather large male Orion backhand Ketek, knocking him completely out of the chair on which he'd been seated.

Two male Orions, Baird, and Ketek were within range of the camera. As much as she wanted to, Kathryn knew she couldn't simply go charging in there, guns blazing. For one thing, she only had one phaser. The one the ensign had been so kind as to give up to her. She needed a plan. She scanned all of the screens – the runabout. If she could get to it…

The door to the interrogation room opened and a third Orion male entered. Kathryn paused to watch. Despite his obvious reluctance, he was very animated in talking to Baird. And whatever news he was delivering had just made Baird furious. Slapping the messenger out of her way, Baird stormed out of the room with one of the guards and the messenger quickly following behind her.

That left only one guard with Ketek.

Kathryn pulled the phaser from the waistband of her pants and set it to high stun. One Orion, she could take out. As her hand reached out to turn off the viewscreen, she saw Ketek look right at the camera. She had a feeling that he knew she was coming, considered it an illogical move, and didn't want her to risk getting herself captured for his sake.

Janeway found that amusing. Obviously, if he thought she'd listen to that line of instruction, he didn't know her as well as he thought he did.

* * *

"That was…incredibly reckless of you, Admiral."

The last word came out as more of a grunt as Janeway dropped Ketek into the pilot's chair on the runabout.

"You aren't the first Vulcan to tell me that," she quipped, wiping her hair out of her face. Getting him out of the interrogation room had been easy enough with only one guard to stun, but getting the two of them to the runabout without being seen or caught had been a bit more daunting. Despite his claims of being uninjured, Ketek had been leaning heavily on her just to stay upright. "Now just stay there while I get a medkit."

He grunted again. "I do not require medical assistance at this time."

"Maybe," she allowed, opening the kit on the floor next to him, "but it'll make me feel better. Literally." She pulled out the dermal regenerator. "By the way, you neglected to mention that before you performed the mind meld."

Reluctantly, he pulled his shirts up to reveal a darkening green bruise spanning the majority of his chest. "My apologies for the deception. Expedience was a factor in my decision."

She shook her head and allowed the subject to drop for the time being. "The phaser rifles are gone from the locker. I don't think they've left any weapons on board."

"There should be two survival kits near the escape hatch. It could be very easy to overlook the hand phasers contained within them."

She nodded, switching off the dermal regenerator. The tightness in her chest had faded, so she assumed Ketek was feeling better as well. "I'll go check." She handed him a hypospray. "Check the computer while I'm gone. See if you can find out anymore about our situation. I doubt we can stay on the runabout for long."

Ketek stared at her for a moment. Acting as a mostly independent operator, it had been a few years since he'd been given direct orders by anyone and certainly never by someone lower ranking. In his mind, he felt Kathryn's chagrin when she realized her error, but she was still looking at him expectantly. He inclined his head and turned towards the console, snapping off an amused, "Aye, Admiral."

He managed to scan through several items of interest before he heard her returning behind him. Humans would most likely prevaricate in reporting their findings at this point but he told her simply, "Your distress call was received by another Orion vessel that is now on an intercept course. Presumably they will assist Baird and not us."

"Damn," she swore even as she handed him one of the two phasers she'd found. "Any good news?"

"No."

Kathryn sat down in the tactical chair and began scrolling through the data herself. "We've got to stop this ship."

"I agree. However, Baird is aware of your freedom and has increased patrols throughout the ship and posted extra security in her engineering section." He pulled up a different schematic. "Escape using the runabout is also not a viable option. I believe at this juncture, Baird would be happy to simply be rid of you. She would order the immediate destruction of the runabout."

"And I thought she was beginning to like me."

Ketek raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps, but that was prior to your escape. I believe any offer of a relationship she may have been considering giving you has now been withdrawn."

"Short courtships never last," she quipped, before turning serious again. "Besides, we can't just tuck tail and run. The pilots and other admirals are still on board."

Swiveling his seat slightly, Ketek eyed her. "The other Starfleet personnel cannot be trusted nor counted on to aid in our survival."

"I know." She continued to scroll through the data on the screen. "Look at this."

Ketek got to his feet and examined what she was pointing at. "There are only three individuals manning the bridge."

"And between the two of us, we've got three phasers. If we can catch them by surprise, we can easily take control of the bridge."

He draped his hands behind his back. "The amount of personnel we'd have to bypass in order to arrive there unannounced makes it a statistical impossibility."

"Not if we used the transporter." She gestured to the back of the runabout. "If we use the transporter, we can beam straight there. Shields won't matter because we aren't trying to get into the ship from outside. Once we're there, we can lock out anyone else from gaining access and we can stop the ship."

An alarm blared from the console where Ketek had been working. He barely glanced at it. "Patrols are arriving at our location."

Kathryn got to her feet. "Then let's go to another location."

He watched her input the commands into the transporter console. There was something she wasn't telling him, but he couldn't quite pinpoint it. "Your plan has merit and the possibility of success while being rather unconventional. How did you think of it?"

Janeway took up position next to him, a phaser held in each hand. "I saw a couple of Klingons try it once."

Before he could ask her to elaborate further, the transporter beam enveloped both of them.

* * *

Within moments of arriving on the bridge, Janeway and Ketek were the only two conscious people.

"That was too easy," Janeway said, scanning around the circular bridge area for a third time.

Ketek picked up a weapon from the unconscious helmsman. "That is an illogical statement. The operation went according to plan."

"Right," she muttered, moving to what she assumed was the operations console. "Locking out bridge access now."

"Scanning for nearby vessels."

"Several human life signs throughout the ship, one Bolian on deck three, and one Andorian on deck five. Forty-seven Orions."

"Two vessels on approach. One Orion. Weapons are charged. Shields are up. The other ship is–"

Kathryn didn't hear what the other ship was. She didn't even hear Ketek's yell of pain. Her senses were completely blinded as fire seared across her back, buckling her knees, and causing her own voice to cry out. Darkness crowded the edges of her vision as she hit the deck, but she pushed back at it, fighting against the tide that was trying to drag her down. She couldn't black out now. They were both dead if she did.

Lifting her head, she saw the phaser she'd holstered on her hip lying several feet away from her. Her head was slowly clearing and the burning sensation along her spine had faded enough that she realized she wasn't the one that had been shot. Ketek had been. If she never did another mind meld again in her life, it would be too soon.

"Oh, Kathryn? Are you up there?"

Baird's voice sang out from the lower area of the bridge and Janeway froze. Damn it. How did she–

"Did you really think you could lock me out of my own bridge?"

She'd have to crawl for the phaser. It was her only chance.

Baird appeared at the bottom of the steps leading up to where Kathryn was slowly dragging herself forwards. She smiled at the sight of Kathryn struggling on the floor and casually kicked the phaser further away. It clattered down the two steps landing somewhere out of sight. "Oops." She lowered the disruptor she was carrying until it was aimed at Kathryn. "If looks could kill, I know I'd be writhing on the floor right now. Ensigns must have been petrified by you."

Janeway rolled up onto her side, supporting her weight on her elbow. Her breathing was labored and she could feel sweat rolling down her face, but she be damned if she'd give Baird the satisfaction of giving up. "Did you kill him?"

Baird glanced down towards the helm and shrugged. "I didn't get close enough to check. Disruptor burns at such a close range have a horrible stench."

Bile rose in Kathryn's throat as she understood the nature of the pain she'd felt.

"I never expected to get two for the price of one," Baird commented, lowering herself into a crouch, her weapon never wavering. "I'm surprised at you sharing your mind that way with a Vulcan you just met."

"Better him than you."

Baird smirked at Kathryn's growl. "That hurts, Admiral. It almost makes me question my attractiveness to know that you chose him over me." She winked. "Almost."

A console beeped, catching both of their attention momentarily. Kathryn took the opportunity to steal a glance at the top of the console she'd been operating. The second phaser she'd used was still lying on it, and she didn't think Baird had seen it yet. She hoped.

"That'll be Argos calling. She's the one that received your distress signal by the way," Baird commented sourly. "She found it incredibly amusing that I couldn't control a single Terran woman." She looked back at Kathryn. "She's even offered to take you off my hands. She, of course, thinks she can do better."

Moving slowly, Kathryn managed to get to a sitting position, her still-aching back propped against the bulkhead. "Who is she to you? An old girlfriend or something?"

Baird's teeth showed in a feral smile. "She wishes. But honestly Kat, I think I'd rather just kill you and be done with it."

So much for going for the phaser then. Janeway locked eyes with Baird. "What's stopping you?"

"I was hoping you'd try to convince me to keep you." Her voice turned into a purr. "Persuade me."

Kathryn gave it a moment's thought but then said, "No."

The Orion woman looked disappointed. "That's it? Just no?" she scoffed. "You really are–"

The ship rocked beneath them sending Baird, who'd been in the process of getting to her feet, crashing into the bulkhead. Janeway rolled up to her knees, reaching for the phaser as it clattered off the top of the console. The ship rocked again, causing Kathryn to grab hold of the console for balance while Baird went reeling down the stairs to the lower portion of the bridge.

Janeway saw the phaser. It had fallen between the two consoles. Alarms on the ship were screaming and she heard Baird swearing. She was just able to get her fingers around the handle of the weapon, but it wouldn't pull free. An exploded bulkhead spewed smoke into the air, choking Kathryn and causing her eyes to water as she slowly maneuvered the phaser back up the way it had fallen.

Just as she got it free, the ship rocked for a third time and she fell back to the deck. The environmental filters were kicking in and clearing the smoke, but as the bridge settled under her again, Kathryn got into a crouched position and realized she'd lost track of Baird. A disruptor blast seared into the bulkhead just over her head and she rolled forward in a tumble to avoid what she assumed would be the next shot. Pivoting to her knee, she spun to the side of the console, using it for what little protection it could offer.

Baird had circled around behind her. The only question now was whether or not she should go low or high. Taking a deep breath and hoping her legs would support her, Janeway grabbed the top of the console pulling herself upright with one hand and firing the phaser with the other. Her shot went wide but was close enough to cause Baird to duck back behind the curve of the wall. Kathryn dropped back down.

Baird coughed, laughed. "What are you going to do, Kathryn? It's my ship. There's nowhere for you to go!"

Janeway refused to acknowledge that Baird had a point, but with Ketek down she didn't even have any back up now. Could this day get any worse?

She regretted the thought as soon as she had it. She knew better than to tempt fate like that, but it was too late. Several armed figures beamed onto the bridge with one coalescing less than a meter away from her and immediately aiming a weapon at her.

"Drop your phaser. Now."

Kathryn stared up at the stoic face of a Starfleet security lieutenant and was only too happy to comply. She let the phaser fall from her hand. "Your timing couldn't be better, Lieutenant."

Kneeling down, he slid her dropped phaser into his back holster. "We received your distress call, Admiral, but we had to knock out their shields before we could transport over," he reported, offering her a hand up. "Forgive me, but per your own order, I need to escort you back to the _Basilone_ for a full medical evaluation."

Once on her feet, Kathryn could see the other three members of the security team. Two were standing with Baird and one was kneeling near Ketek. She addressed the one near the injured Vulcan. "He needs immediate medical assistance."

"Yes, ma'am," the ensign acknowledged her, hailing his ship and disappearing along with Ketek in another beam of light.

"You need to listen to me. She's gone crazy. I was in the process of subduing her so I could take her into custody."

Kathryn whipped around when she heard Baird's melodic voice getting closer and saw the two security officers were hanging on the Orion woman's every word.

"I know it's difficult to accept but you need to stun her. Now. Before she does something rash."

"Lieutenant. Don't listen to her," Kathryn snapped at the man standing at her side.

He looked puzzled. "Admiral?"

Baird continued. "Kathryn Janeway is responsible for this whole ordeal. She's kidnapped myself and the other admirals. She even tried to kill Admiral Ketek. You need to stun her. Now."

Kathryn watched in dawning horror as the two security officers raised their weapons towards her in a confused daze. The lieutenant at her side hadn't turned on her yet, but he wasn't ordering his men to stand down either. "Don't listen to her. That's an order."

"Listen to me. You are duty bound to protect me from her. Stun Kathryn Janeway."

The smile Baird gave Kathryn sent chills up her spine. The lieutenant beside her was blinking rapidly, apparently still trying to fight off Baird's influence, but Kathryn knew it was a losing battle as the other two men seemed to become even more convinced of their actions. Janeway swallowed and glanced at the lieutenant's back. This was going to hurt. No two ways about it.

Kathryn lunged, slamming the lieutenant into the bulkhead and grabbing the phaser from his back. One ensign fired at her and missed. She spun on her heel, finding her target.

"KILL HER!" Baird yelled.

Firing her phaser, Kathryn finally silenced the Orion woman. Then a beam of energy hit her in the chest, sending her flying backwards into unconsciousness.

* * *

Ow.

That was Kathryn's first thought. Her second thought was that it wasn't a very captain-like sentiment. Then she remembered. She wasn't a captain anymore. Opening her eyes and seeing a very unfamiliar ceiling, she wondered why she had ever let them promote her to admiral.

Someone loomed over her, and she tensed for the briefest of moments before recognizing the face of her former first officer. She sighed in relief. "Chakotay."

Her voice sounded understandably dry, but his face broke into a gentle smile that still had worry ingrained in it. "I thought taking a desk job was supposed to be safer for you."

She felt his warm, solid hands wrap around one of hers and she managed a lopsided smile for him. "Me too, but I swear, it wasn't–"

"–your fault," he finished for her, his dimples making an appearance. "I'm sure."

She didn't even care that he didn't believe her. "Where are we?"

"The _Basilone_," he answered. "It really was responding to your distress call. There was another ship in the vicinity as well, but it departed before anyone could identify it."

"Just as well," she muttered then frowned at him. "How did you–"

"Did you really think I wouldn't notice when you didn't show up at the conference? I was waiting for you at the space dock and overheard the security personnel there talking about losing contact with your ship." He shrugged. "I was on the _Basilone_ helping organize the search effort."

She'd only heard half of what he said. "You were waiting for me?"

He smiled at her distracted reply and nodded at an approaching figure. "Kathryn, this is Doctor Vidale, _Basilone's_ CMO."

"Admiral Janeway," the Doctor greeted her warmly, "it's nice to see you awake."

The scanning wand waving near her forehead abruptly reminded Kathryn of how she'd ended up in sickbay. "Doctor, is Admiral Ketek all right?"

"He will be," the dark-haired doctor assured her, nodding towards a cordoned off area of the sickbay. "He's keeping himself in a healing trance for the time being."

"And the others?" Kathryn asked warily.

"The other admirals?" she clarified, a note of confusion clear in her voice.

Kathryn glanced at Chakotay and then back to the doctor. "They weren't exactly acting like themselves."

"Ah, yes…that." Vidale smiled. "They're mostly being kept in quarters for the time being, but I've suppressed the Orion woman's pheromones. When she wakes up in the brig, I think she'll find it extremely difficult to convince anyone to let her out."

"The security team had to explain what happened over there when they went to retrieve you," Chakotay added. "_Basilone's_ captain was not happy to find out that the two admirals he thought he was rescuing had both been phasered."

Vidale leaned towards Kathryn slightly. "And neither was he." She indicated Chakotay with a wink aimed at her patient before turning back to the matter at hand. "How do you feel, Admiral?"

Janeway was still amused at the flush she'd seen creep into Chakotay's face at the Doctor's remark. She'd have to ask for details about that later. "I'm a little sore, but other than that…" She shrugged.

Vidale helped her to a sitting position. "Yes, well that's to be expected I'm afraid. However, all of your other scans look fine, and if you're at all like any other officer I've treated I'm sure you're ready to get out of sickbay?"

She was. No question there, but where was she supposed to go? "Yes, but I uh don't really–"

"Of course," Vidale interjected smoothly, "since I still consider you to be recovering, I'd prefer you not be alone for the next twelve hours at least."

"I'll stay with her, Doctor," Chakotay offered quickly. "_Basilone's_ captain has been kind enough to assign me guest quarters on board."

"Perfect," Vidale said, choosing to ignore her patient's weak protest. "In that case, Admiral, you are free to go…with your escort." She had the distinct impression that it wasn't often Janeway was so easily maneuvered. "It's been my honor to take care of you, but as I tell all my patients, I hope I don't see you again too soon."

Kathryn actually smiled at that and allowed Chakotay to support her as she slid off the biobed. "Thank you, Doctor." She paused. "May I see, Ketek?"

The Doctor raised a curious eyebrow but gestured to the cordoned off area. "I'm not sure how much of a conversationalist he'll be, but please don't stay long."

Without saying a word, Chakotay questioned and understood that she wanted to visit Ketek alone. "I'll wait for you out here."

Kathryn gave him a nod of gratitude and rounded the slight partition. Ketek was seated the same as she'd seen him for most of the trip, his back straight, eyes closed, and his hands held pyramid style in front of him. Closing her eyes, she took a couple of cleansing breaths but didn't feel his presence in her own. Their connection to each other had faded. She turned to leave.

"You neglected to mention that the Klingons you'd seen perform your proposed tactic did, in fact, fail in their attempt to take over your bridge."

She smiled. "Expedience may have played a factor in my decision to leave that out."

Ketek opened his eyes. "Perhaps," he allowed. "You are well?"

"Yes, thank you," she replied, knowing he would not care for her to reciprocate. "I can only stay a minute, but I wanted to check on you before I left."

"I am healing," he answered her unspoken question and then added, "I look forward to working with you again soon, Admiral."

Kathryn was doubtful. "I don't think I'll be involved in your line of work."

His head cocked to the side. "The knowledge you now possess concerning my work makes it a statistical imperative that we will be working together again."

She found she didn't know quite how to respond to that.

He seemed to understand. "Until then, Admiral."

Kathryn understood the dismissal, inclined her head slightly and left.

"Everything all right?" Chakotay asked, offering her his arm.

She accepted it gratefully. "I think so." She laughed lightly at his look of concern and patted his arm as they departed sickbay. "I think I just found out what my next assignment is going to be though."

"Anything good?"

"I'm not sure yet," she allowed before looking up the corridor. "Oh hell."

Chakotay felt her arm tighten on his and immediately saw the reason why. Admiral Robert Brown was walking straight towards them. He stiffened as well. The admiral was an absolute ass and he'd no desire to speak with him ever again after the debriefings had concluded.

"Captain Chakotay," he greeted them stiffly. "Janeway."

She inclined her head slightly. "Admiral."

There was an incredibly long awkward pause as Brown seemed to be fighting with himself to speak. "In regards to your…conduct on the Orion ship," he began finally, "I must once again question your…choices. Your decisions continue to show a recklessness that is not becoming of a flag officer of the Federation."

"_My_ choices?" she repeated dangerously.

"However," he ignored her, "the other admirals do not agree with me. A commendation has been placed in your file, and Mason is pushing to award you a medal of valor."

He practically strangled on the last word.

Kathryn was seething and Chakotay actually had to nudge her before she spoke. "Thank you, sir," she managed to ground out. "For letting me know."

"Yes. Well." He gave them a curt nod. "As you were."

Chakotay turned slightly to let the man walk past him. Glancing at Kathryn, he hurriedly moved them down the corridor in the opposite direction. It was only when they were safely alone in a turbolift that he asked, "And you managed to be stuck in a runabout with him?"

"That bastard gave me a concussion!" she exploded. "He hit me in the head with a phaser rifle, tied me up and locked me in a maintenance closet. Probably slept with the enemy and gave away who knows what Starfleet secrets and he wants to question _my_ choices. That son-of-a-umph!"

Chakotay's mouth descended over Kathryn's, silencing the well deserved litany against the other admiral as he pushed her back up against the wall of the lift. He couldn't believe how close he'd come to losing her yet again and wasn't about to let another second pass by without her knowing exactly how he felt. The turbolift slid to a halt all too quickly and when the doors slid open to the deck where his guest quarters were located, he regrettably broke apart from her out of a sense of decorum. Kathryn looked dazed.

"I'd planned to do that once we reached the planet, but I didn't…couldn't wait another minute," he explained, holding her eyes with his.

She licked her lips. "When do we reach the planet?"

He frowned. "Twelve hours."

"Too long." She glanced down the blessedly deserted corridor. "Where are your quarters?"

"At the end of the hall."

Kathryn shook her head. "Too far. Computer, take us to deck," she picked one randomly, "nine."

"Kathryn?" he asked, confused.

She held up a hand, waited for the doors to close and the slight jolt of the lift to start moving them downwards. "Computer, halt lift. Lock out to voice authorization Admiral Kathryn Janeway."

"Acknowledged."

Kathryn looked up at him. "I believe we were in the middle of something, Captain. You were saying?"

"Where angels fear to tread," Chakotay grinned and closed the minimal space that had opened between them.

~the end~

* * *

Thanks for reading!


End file.
